Books › A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments recently exhibited at the Royal Military Exhibition, London, 1890 …, 1891 › scan 116
Scan 116
A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments recently exhibited at the Royal Military Exhibition, London, 1890 …, 1891
16 lines. Read by computer on 1 October 2026. Printed page 96. See the scan on archive.org.
1V.
3CLASS—REED INSTRUMENTS.
5FAMILY: Double reeds, (β) with cylindrical bore.
7THE combination of a double reed with a cylindrical bore, although of great antiquity, presents certain theoretical difficulties which have led to its disuse. The subject presents an acoustical problem of too complex a nature to be discussed at length here, but has been fully treated of by various acousticians at different times.
9That the use of the double reed, in conjunction with a cylindrical bore, was discarded in favour of the single, or arghoul, reed by the ancient nations is tolerably certain. And unless the bore is of small section, association with a double reed is hardly practicable.
11During the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries instruments thus constructed were in common use. Those most generally met with were the krumhorn, or cromorne; the racket or cervelas; the musette; and the sourdine. Of these the cromorne was generally played in sets, and the family consisted of four instruments, the respective compass of each being
13Bass. Baryton. Alto. Discant.
15The krumhorn is described by Virdung, who also mentions an instrument of very similar form, and which he calls Platerspill. And in a MS. of the 13th century at Madrid (Cantigas de Santa Maria), there is a representation of an instrument apparently of this nature. But Hans Burgmair, a pupil of the celebrated Albert Dürer, gives (Triumph of the Emperor Maximilien, Vienna, 1516) a representation of two cromornes, the identity of which cannot be disputed. The instrument is mentioned by Praetorius, and, according to him, the larger varieties had some keys which enabled the compass to be extended downwards. The reed was placed within a cap, and hence was beyond control of the player's lips. The cromorne is again described by Mersenne, who states the best of the kind were made in
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